Terminal Area Noise Management System Balancing Flight Efficiency
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Solution Overview
Problem
The implementation of Performance-Based Navigation (PBN) flight procedures in airports often results in increased noise concentration in certain areas, leading to community resistance and a potential reduction in the benefits of improved flight efficiency, safety, and reduced emissions, as conventional noise abatement efforts may limit the benefits of PBN procedures.
Innovation Solution
A Terminal Area Noise Management System (TANMS) that uses a processor to receive aircraft information, estimate noise profiles, calculate cumulative noise and operational fairness measures, and select flight paths to optimize noise distribution and operational efficiency, thereby minimizing noise impact on communities while maintaining the benefits of PBN procedures.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Productivity
If PBN flight procedures are implemented to improve flight efficiency and reduce emissions, then operational efficiency is improved, but noise concentration in certain areas increases
Solution Approach 1:
The system dynamically adjusts flight path assignments based on real-time or near-real-time noise accumulation data. Flight paths are not fixed but are continuously optimized by the processor to balance operational efficiency with noise distribution, allowing the system to adapt to changing conditions and prevent excessive noise concentration in any single area.
Solution Approach 2:
The system changes the parameter of flight path selection by calculating multiple possible flight paths and their associated noise profiles. The processor selects flight paths that optimize the balance between operational efficiency metrics (such as fuel consumption, flight time) and noise distribution metrics, effectively changing which parameter is prioritized based on current conditions.
2Object-generated harmful factors
If conventional noise abatement efforts are used to reduce noise emissions, then noise exposure is limited, but the benefits of PBN procedures are reduced
Solution Approach 1:
The system implements a feedback mechanism where noise accumulation data from previous flights is fed back into the flight path selection process. The processor uses this feedback to adjust future flight path assignments, ensuring that areas with high accumulated noise receive fewer flights while maintaining overall operational efficiency. This closed-loop control allows the system to achieve noise abatement without sacrificing PBN benefits.
Solution Approach 2:
The system performs preliminary calculations of noise profiles and operational efficiency metrics for multiple potential flight paths before making a selection. By evaluating all options in advance and selecting the optimal flight path that balances both noise distribution and operational efficiency, the system avoids the need for restrictive conventional noise abatement measures while still achieving noise reduction goals.
3Object-generated harmful factors
If flight paths are restricted to reduce noise, then noise exposure is reduced, but flight efficiency and airport throughput are limited
Solution Approach 1:
The system segments the airspace into multiple flight paths with different noise characteristics. Instead of restricting all flights to a single path or area, the processor divides traffic into multiple segments or routes, distributing flights across different paths based on real-time noise accumulation. This segmentation allows the system to reduce noise exposure in specific areas while maintaining overall airport throughput by utilizing multiple alternative paths.
Data Source
AI summary
A terminal area noise management method includes receiving, at a processor, aircraft information for an aircraft operating in a region in proximity to an airport; accessing a plurality of terminal area flight paths available to the aircraft; estimating a plurality of noise profiles for the aircraft, one estimated noise profile for the aircraft for each of the plurality of flight paths; calculating a plurality of cumulative noise fairness measures using each estimated noise profile; calculating a plurality of operational efficiency values for the aircraft, one or more of the calculated operational efficiency values for the aircraft for each of the flight paths; calculating a plurality of cumulative operational fairness measures using each of the calculated operational efficiency values; and selecting a flight path for the aircraft based on maximizing a cumulative noise fairness measure and a cumulative operational fairness measure.